Question : INDIAN COMMUNITY WELFARE FUND

(a) whether the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) set up by the Government has been operationalised in the Indian missions in alt the countries;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any assistance was rendered out of this fund to the persons/workers of Indian origin, found to be in distress, after its operationalisation;

(d) if so, the details thereof, case-wise and country-wise; and

(e) the total amount collected in the form of immigration fee during the last three years and the current year, year-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS (SHRI VAYALAR RAVI)

(a)to(e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement referred to in reply to Part (a) to (e) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No.300 dated 14.12.2011 regarding Indian Community Welfare Fund

(a)&(b) The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) has been extended to all Indian Missions w.e.f. 24.03.2011. As per the data available with the Ministry, countries in which ICWF has been operationalised are at Annexure-I,

(c)to(d) Yes Sir, the case-wise and country-wise, details in this regard are at Annexure-ll.

(e) ICWF Scheme does not have any provision for collecting immigration fees.